President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used the 10th memorial service for former Kogi State governor Prince Abubakar Audu to announce a renewed commitment by his administration to confront insecurity, restore peace, and expand economic opportunities across Nigeria.
Addressing attendees in Lokoja, the federal government reaffirmed that national security and citizens’ welfare remain top priorities. The recently declared State of Emergency on national security, the President’s aides said, is not symbolic but marks a full-scale mobilization of security agencies to tackle threats.
Key elements of the pledge include expansion in manpower for the armed forces and police, modernization of intelligence-gathering infrastructure, and strategic reforms among them a push for the establishment of State Police to complement national security efforts at the grassroots level.
Beyond security, the administration signalled wide-ranging economic and social reforms under its renewed agenda. Plans include modernization of the livestock industry through large-scale ranching and improved animal husbandry, measures aimed at boosting food security and smoothing relations between farming and herding communities.
Infrastructure development also featured in the president’s roadmap: upgrades to road and rail networks, improvements in power supply, and greater investment in social-investment programmes, youth empowerment, and small-medium enterprises. These, the government argues, will drive national economic revival.
The occasion also served as a tribute to Prince Audu remembered as an early democratic pioneer and two-time governor whose leadership helped lay democratic and governance foundations in Kogi State. His legacy, the President said, remains a model of bold, transformative governance the administration hopes to replicate nationwide.
As the nation watches, the call to “hunt down enemies of the state wherever they may be” and to completely restructure security architecture signals a significant escalation in Nigeria’s war against insecurity.
